The two-year roadworks nightmare at Killingworth Road could be hit by another late setback, it has been revealed.

Just a few weeks before drivers were finally due to be put out of their misery on the busy commuter route, engineers have discovered a new problem that could push back its reopening date yet again.

Killingworth Road has been completely shut since July 2017 for a £13.5m scheme to install a new Metro bridge and widen the road, but the work has been plagued by a series of delays - largely with Northern Gas Networks' (NGN) efforts to divert three gas mains.

Multiple reasons for the delays have included the discovery of asbestos, a "labyrinth of utility pipes and old infrastructure" beneath the city, bad weather and land slippage.

After missing the initial March 2018 finish date, council bosses then targeted June 2018 and then "early 2019" for completion - before pushing the reopening date back to May.

But just as Newcastle City Council documents revealed that May 20 would be the day that the route would finally reopen to southbound traffic, a new issue with a manhole has thrown yet another spanner in the works.

Council bosses say that any impact would be "minor" - likely to be an additional week or two - and that a re-opening date is likely to be confirmed by the end of next week.

A 60-tonne crane being used in roadworks at Killingworth Road, Newcastle (Image: Newcastle City Council)

A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: "We appreciate the public's patience during the extended closure of Killingworth Road.

"We are keen to open the road as soon as there is enough space on the carriageway to allow traffic to run safely alongside our construction teams.

"We are currently investigating an issue that occurred yesterday relating to a connection to the water main and this could have a minor impact on our target date of May 20 for southbound traffic, with two-way traffic using the road from later in the summer.